


Don't Forget to Knock

by the_never_was



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Oneshot, Romance, humor/comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 01:18:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12097557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_never_was/pseuds/the_never_was
Summary: Cassandra worries that Trevelyan's under attack when she hears the noises going up the stairs. Armed with an equally worried Josephine, both women are about to discover a big secret. And Cullen is going to just die of embarrassment, if they don't first.





	Don't Forget to Knock

**Author's Note:**

> This idea tickled the shit out of me when I wrote it back when. Just found it in my docs (from 2014) and thought to share.
> 
> Dragon Age characters/Inquisition copyright to Bioware

  
  
Near dawn Cassandra strode to the Inquisitor's quarters. They would leave within the hour: mounts were being prepped, the Iron Bull had been woken, and Dorian was yawning as he sat in the Great Hall for their small breakfast the cooks had prepared. The Seeker found the outer most door unlocked and strode up the long stairs to the inner door. She knocked briefly and to her surprise received no response.

“Inquisitor? Trevelyan? We are to eat before we go,” Cassandra called, unsure if she should just enter the room. What if the Inquisitor were dressing? How embarrassing would it be?

There was, however, still no response.

Cassandra hummed, returned to the Great Hall and found Josephine browsing the breakfast display. “I need you. Come.”

“For?” the Ambassador asked, blinking confusedly.

“I cannot get the Inquisitor to respond to my calls. I do not wish to enter and surprise her alone if she is indecent, but I thought if we went together it wouldn't be as...bad?”

Josephine nodded in understanding and followed the Seeker back through the first door and up the stairs. When they arrived at the inner door, Cassandra knocked once more. No response yet again.

“Lady Inquisitor?” Josephine called politely.

Nothing.

The two women looked to one another, debating if they should try the door. Cassandra straightened her shoulders and attempted to use the handle, surprised as it opened just fine. Soft murmurs hit their ears from someone other than the Inquisitor. With a look over her side to Josephine, Cassandra quietly entered and slowly stepped up the stairs. In case something had happened, she wanted to be silent to take whoever might be here or whoever might have tried anything against the Inquisitor by surprise.

It was she, however, who was taken by complete shock.

Cassandra gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as she got to the middle of the stairs. Through the railing above her, she could see movement from the bed and hear more little sounds, both masculine and feminine in origin. Almost unable to move at this point, she watched a little longer, curious as she was a romantic person deep down, and gaped when the blankets slid enough to reveal Cullen's head above the Inquisitor's as they kissed.

Josephine entered quietly to her left, wanting to know what was going on, and Cassandra immediately clapped her hand over the younger woman's mouth as Josephine's eyes bulged at the sight of their two colleagues engaged in coitus. Quickly they turned and left, as silently as they entered, and gently shut the door. Back out in the open stair cases, they stared at one another.

“Did you know?” Cassandra asked bluntly, still in shock.

“I had heard a rumor that...that they were warming to one another. One of Leliana's people overheard some soldiers discussing seeing Cullen kissing our Inquisitor on the ramparts once. But you know how rumors are. I wasn't so sure it was possible. They've always been so professional around one another,” Josephine explained, shaking her head and grinning. “This is...quite a pleasant surprise. I mean, not what we saw exactly, but...that they've found something in one another. That is very...nice, given everything.”

Cassandra hummed as they walked back down the stairs. “A distraction more like. Could prove dangerous.”

“From the, uh, looks of it, this has been going on for some time. We know Cullen isn't the type for affairs, so it must be serious. They've both been fine with their duties during this time.”

“That is true. I suppose my concerns for the Inquisition make me too worried,” Cassandra admitted while they exited back into the Great Hall. “It is also their business. But...how to pretend we didn't...see.”

“It might be impossible, even with my training from Orlais,” Josephine joked and gestured back to the breakfast table where the crew had gathered and began eating. “Come, let us break our fast. They will come down soon enough, and we will...go from there.”

“They?” Leliana asked as she stepped closely to their sides.

Cassandra groaned. Josephine winked. “What your scout said? He was correct, apparently.”

“Josephine,” Cassandra warned.  
  
“Oh. Of course. I've heard more since and hushed many of the whispers out of respect,” Leliana said and grabbed a plate, placing small delicate rolls upon it.

They finished picking their eggs and delicacies, sitting down near the end of the table away from the others to talk privately. Cassandra swallowed some water from her goblet, thinking. “I...rather like them.”

 

 ---------------

 

“Maker, they're out there.”

Trevelyan watched Cullen blanch next to the door as he cracked it slightly. She could hear sounds of talking and hushed laughter out in the hall. “Oh. They probably are having breakfast.”

“I didn't...I'm sorry. I hadn't considered they might. Now I've put you in this revealing situation,” Cullen groaned, still eyeing the hall through the cracked door. “I had hoped to keep our affairs private, if only to spare any stupid talk that might undermine what you're working toward with your position. Or mine.”

“Cullen, I'm not ashamed of us,” she said quietly and looked away.

He shut the door at her saddened tone and stepped closer, lifting her chin and forcing her to look at him. “Neither am I, my love. Don't misinterpret, please. I...just.”

“Worry about any authority undermining.”

“Yes.”

“What if that's not a consequence? Have you considered our troops might actually enjoy the idea that their Commander is involved with the Inquisitor?” she asked, smiling now and wrapping her arms around him.

Cullen raised his brows in thought. “I...had not considered that possibility.”

“I would begin doing so, because there is no way we're walking out of here without being noticed together, dearest.”

“Mm. True. I suppose I could pretend to converse.”

“Cullen.”

“Oh, fine. Prepare for...teasing, most likely.”

Trevelyan smirked. “So afraid, are you?”

“Annoyed by it, more like. But I'd rather they have something to talk about than...nothing, if it would mean not having you,” Cullen softly said and kissed her deeply. He took a deep breath and pulled away. “Shall we?” He extended a hand to her. Trevelyan looked at it, then glanced to his face. Cullen was smiling. “Might as well at this point.”

“If you're sure.”

“I am. I want to prove to you nothing about us bothers or shames me. It's the others that I find annoying,” Cullen stated and grasped her hand as she slid hers into his. “I love you. Remember that whenever I say something stupid.”

Trevelyan laughed as he opened the door with his free hand. “I shall.”

Both took deep breaths as they exited the safety of the staircases and entered into the Great Hall. Down their right along one of the tables sat several colleagues and her chosen team for the trip, eating away at what the cooks had served them. The smell of the food made her stomach rumble and Cullen chuckled as a result.

Dorian was the first to spot them as he was faced at the opposite end of the tables. His brows rose up, and he smiled warmly at them. Knowingly. It was a good first sign, she thought. Next was Iron Bull, who turned to see what Dorian was smiling at. The Qunari smirked, nodding his large head and turning back to his plate without care. When they got close enough, Leliana looked up, along with Josephine and Cassandra. The spymaster seemed amused, while the latter two tried to look everywhere but at them. Trevelyan frowned, puzzled by the reactions.

“So, now you know. Get over it. We're not ending anything, so no one had better even suggest it,” Cullen began, eyes roaming the lot before them.

“Calm, Cullen. No one has problems with your relationship,” Leliana stated, a rare smile gracing her lips.

“Good.” Cullen looked to Trevelyan with a quick half-smile. “I suppose you were right, love.”

She smirked and squeezed his hand. “Call it female intuition.”

They moved together toward the display of food, each taking a plate and piling it up with delicious smelling breakfast items. Bull moved down a seat so they could sit near Leliana together. Trevelyan noticed as she ate that Cassandra and Josephine were still looking away from them, sometimes at one another specifically. “What is it?” she asked, afraid to misinterpret but annoyed by the behavior.

“Hm?” Josephine looked toward her finally.

“You both act as though you'd rather be far from Cullen and I. I'd like to know why. Do you have protests counter to Leliana's claim before?” she asked, voice a little tight.

Josephine's innocent eyes widened, and Trevelyan could see the apology already written in them. “Of course not! Apologies, Inquisitor, I have no such opinions.”

“Then what is this about?” Trevelyan asked, turning to Cassandra, who'd stayed quiet.

Cassandra grunted and stabbed her last egg. “My foolishness, Inquisitor.”

“Pardon?”

The Seeker groaned and finally eyed the pair distantly. “I suppose I must ask for your forgiveness, the both of you.”

Cullen tilted his head, goblet in hand. “For?”

“Come, Cassandra, we must tell them despite how embarrassing it is,” Josephine whispered harshly.

“Oh, fine. I tried to rouse you earlier, Inquisitor. I got no response, so I enlisted Josephine to help me. We were concerned about invading your privacy while trying to discover if you were awake or preparing,” Cassandra began, her cheeks a bold red for once.  
  
Trevelyan's eyes widened. “Oh...no.”

“What?” Cullen asked confusedly. “What's wrong?”

“I had figured since the door...unlocked...that you were perhaps reading your papers. But I heard some voices, and I grew afraid that someone might have been trying to attack you. So I crept up the stairs and....”

Cullen spit his water everywhere, much to Bull and Dorian's entertainment.

Trevelyan's cheeks burned as red as Cassandra's while her lover gasped, “Oh. Maker. This can't be happening.”

Dorian lost it laughing in his chair and had to lean away to recover himself.

“And I...couldn't tell if she'd gotten your attention, so I...I followed some seconds later and...saw as well. I'm so sorry. We left right then, and we didn't want to upset either of you with the incident.” Josephine winced as she gingerly cut her meat. “Although I am glad to see you have decided to introduce yourselves as a couple. It makes the situation less...difficult.”

Cullen sat back in his chair, hand over his eyes. Trevelyan bit her lip and patted his thigh under the table. “It's all right. Kind of...funny, really. And people will knock even _louder_ now.”

“I'm glad you're humored at being seen. I'm mortified.”

“As am I,” Cassandra mumbled, but she smiled at them finally.

Trevelyan laughed under her breath, then broke out in to full chuckles, earning a sly look from Leliana. Cullen groaned again. “Come, love. It's fine. They're more embarrassed than we are, you have to see that.”

“I...suppose, you're right.” Cullen smirked and bent as she lifted her face to kiss her. Josephine actually gave a soft sound of awe.

Dorian leaned back in his chair. “Well, this certainly explains a lot. Our dear Inquisitor has been awful day-dreamy while we ride.”

“Has she now?” Cullen teased, eyes on Trevelyan.

Iron Bull nodded. “Yep. Almost fell off her mount once.”

“Lies!” Trevelyan called, laughing.

“Well, I must say now that I have embarrassed myself, I do rather approve of this relationship,” Cassandra said, catching everyone's attention. “It makes sense. And is...frankly....”

“What she means to say is that you're adorable,” Josephine finished.

“Ugh,” Cassandra grunted, but smiled again.

Trevelyan squeezed Cullen's leg. “See, Cullen? It's fine. He was worried.”

“I'm a private man,” he grumbled.

“I know, dearest. But how long really were we going to be able to keep this quiet?”

Leliana snickered. “Not to interrupt, but _I_ have been keeping it quiet for you.”

Cullen's eyes widened. “For how long?”

“Hm. Months.”

“Months?”

“Well, my first scout mentioned some sweet behavior she saw, like Cullen giving you the eye at Haven, but she was not really thinking about it when we spoke. Later I heard rumors about some...kissing.” Leliana smiled again, bigger this time. “I found it, as Josie said, adorable. But knowing Cullen as I do, I pressured those talking to hush until you were ready.”

“Maker, this place will kill me,” Cullen groaned, but ended up laughing. “It is...relieving, though, to not have to hide anymore.”

“Yes. Consider all those late night dashes back to your quarters you no longer have to justify,” Leliana teased him.

Cullen blushed heavily while Trevelyan grinned. “He's tried to keep appearances, bless him.”

“Well of course. I must with the soldiers.”

Iron Bull spoke up then, raising his goblet some. “Cullen, I don't think you realize how much those people respect you. I wouldn't worry. They see how much of yourself you give to the cause. I'm sure they'll be happy that their trusted leader is happy.”

Brows went up around the table. Dorian chuckled. “Well put, Bull.”

“Yes, love. So calm. All will be fine,” Trevelyan reassured Cullen.

Cullen stabbed his sausages with his fork. “Very well. You realize, the lot of you, that this means I can _say_ I expect you to take care of her out there.”

“Understood,” Iron Bull replied.

Trevelyan rolled her eyes. “I _am_ capable, Cullen.”

“I'm aware. It's just...you know. I worry twice as much now. Can't bear the thought of you being hurt out there or lost.” They all quieted a moment while he sighed. “Just be careful. For my sake, if not the rest of the cause.”

“I promise to try,” Trevelyan said, eyes on his with determination.

 


End file.
